From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID
	autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 109fba,dad65365cb2b3396
X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public
X-Google-Thread: fac41,dad65365cb2b3396
X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public
X-Google-Thread: 103376,dad65365cb2b3396
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
X-Google-Thread: 1014db,dad65365cb2b3396
X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public
From: kilgallen@eisner.decus.org (Larry Kilgallen)
Subject: Re: The disturbing myth of Eiffel portability
Date: 1996/11/22
Message-ID: <1996Nov22.074528.1@eisner>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 198267654
x-nntp-posting-host: eisner.decus.org
references: <3294e64b.74799475@news2.ibm.net> <56t1m4$nis@bcrkh13.bnr.ca>
 <dewar.848444338@merv> <1996Nov20.065345.1@eisner> <dewar.848592914@merv>
x-nntp-posting-user: KILGALLEN
x-trace: 848666735/15133
organization: LJK Software
newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++
Date: 1996-11-22T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


In article <dewar.848592914@merv>, dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) writes:
> Larry said
> 
> "To be fair, many of the machines whose native floating point arithmetic
> is non-IEEE were designed before the IEEE standard.  Manufacturers also
> owe some continuity to their existing customers."
> 
> Well the IEEE standard is nearly 20 years old now, so there are very few
> such machines left, and they become of decreasing interest. The only
> really notable exception is the Japanese super computers, which made the
> horrible error of copying junk IBM hex floating-point.

Well the VAX is that age ("nearly 20"), the Alpha supports both VAX
and IEEE formats.  Certainly System/390 is that age, if you allow for
the fact that it includes System/360 capabilities.  I know nothing
about System/360 floating point, but I know MVS has a strong tradition
of supporting the installed base.  Perhaps someone from OC Systems can
comment on support of IEEE by IBM.

Larry Kilgallen